ABLE 2012 Mini Workshops

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8:30 a.m. – 9:20 a.m., Mini-workshop Concurrent Sessions I

TA-training Thread 
Creating Inclusive Learning Environments (Cori Fata-Hartley, Kendra Spence Cheruvelil, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI)

Recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students in STEM disciplines remains a challenge. Many studies have attributed this lack of diversity in STEM to learning environments that are not inclusive. To address this issue, we developed, facilitated, and evaluated a diversity training workshop for STEM undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants (TAs). The goals of the training workshop were for TAs to develop their own understanding of diversity, to be able to recognize the characteristics of an inclusive learning environment, and to identify the resources needed to create and foster such an environment in the laboratories and recitations where they teach. The workshop focus on inclusivity and not simply diversity was important to mitigate potential resistance to diversity and diversity training. Activities included reflective questions and discussions, case studies, and team building exercises in addition to informational presentations by workshop leaders. During this mini-workshop we will provide an overview of the training workshop, engage participants in some of the activities, and highlight the specific resources used to develop the workshop. It is expected that participation in the workshop will prepare attendees to be able to implement all or parts of the workshop at their home institutions.

TA-training Thread 
Preparing Graduate Student Teaching Assistants for Teaching Labs Associated with Large Lecture Introductory Biology Courses (Miriam Ferzli and Patricia Aune, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC)

Graduate student teaching assistants (GTAs) are usually at the forefront of laboratory teaching in large lecture courses. As instructors, we rely on them to teach content and facilitate laboratory experiments and activities. Undergraduate students rely on GTAs for providing direct student-teacher time they lack in the lecture component of a course. The laboratory is also the place where students have opportunities for hands-on learning and extending concepts. In an attempt to improve teaching in the laboratory, we hold weekly preparatory meetings that aim at putting GTAs in the “student seat”—letting them experience the lab from an undergraduate’s perspective. We also provide guidance for classroom management and teaching strategies. GTAs submit their major assessments for review to ensure consistency and higher order thinking questions throughout all laboratory sections. As part of GTA training, we evaluate each GTA through classroom observations and follow-up meetings to discuss teaching and a plan of action for improvement. In addition, GTAs can elect to participate in a certificate program that has been tailored for life science college teaching. The program, known as “CoAT for Life Sciences” (Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching for Life Sciences) is comprised of a two-semester seminar course. In the first semester, GTAs are introduced to pedagogical content knowledge with an emphasis on laboratory teaching. In the second semester, GTAs pair up to conduct self and peer-evaluations. GTAs also complete a teaching portfolio and attend at least three university-wide teaching workshops offered through the Graduate School.

TA-training Thread 
A question asked from coast to coast: How can we monitor grading in large classes with multiple teaching assistants and lab/tutorial sections? (Gillian Gass, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Liane Chen, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC)

It is common in large biology classes to have many lab or tutorial sections, each led by a different TA who grades students’ weekly assignments. In this situation, both students and instructors can become concerned that different TAs are grading with varying levels of rigor, leading to differences in students’ final grades. However, with so many groups to keep an eye on, and a range of reasons why student grades might differ between lab sections, it can be challenging for instructors to detect meaningful differences between graders, or to reassure students that the differences they perceive are not significant ones. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the issues related to this problem, and look at one approach to monitoring: using a procedure based on some statistical techniques, all possible within Microsoft Excel, to detect meaningful differences in TA grading. Comparison of TA grades with student performance on common midterms may help to establish whether a TA’s high or low averages can be explained by having a group of high or low achievers. This approach may be used to identify TAs who may need more coaching, to monitor the impact of TA training on grading practices, and as a tool to start conversations about teaching. As well, having a monitoring system in place helps to reassure students about the fairness of TA grading within the class and allows instructors to regularly assess grading practices to find the appropriate level of guidance to provide to TAs.

Spicing Up Sensory Systems Labs (Jessica Goldstein, Barnard College, New York, NY; Sarah Salm; Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York, NY)

Many courses in general biology or human physiology have a unit on the senses in which students learn about the five senses by performing simple activities such as using the Snellen Eye chart to determine their visual acuity or tasting PTC paper to determine if they are a supertaster. However, these activities generally do not have an inquiry component and often, the significance of student data in the context of physiology is not discussed. In this workshop we will present alternative activities that build on typical sensory system labs by allowing students to explore questions in more depth. Specifically, we will focus on the senses of touch and taste. For touch, we will ask blindfolded students to distinguish among different grits of sandpaper. This will lead to a discussion about touch discrimination. Students will be asked to predict which regions of their bodies should have more or fewer touch receptors and perform activities to test their hypotheses. For taste, we will ask students to consider whether or not “fat” should be considered a taste quality and have them taste solutions differing in fat content. We will also introduce exercises which allow students to explore the effect that color, smell, and taste modifiers (such as miracle fruit) have on their perception of different taste qualities. These activities are designed to help students think about what is known about sensory systems and how that information was collected and interpreted. A bonus is that the activities are also fun!

Incorporating polyacrylamide electrophoresis of model enzymes into scenario based labs investigating protein structure-function relationships (Michael J. Keller, University of Maryland, College Park, MD)

Scenario based exercises enrich the student experience by providing a relevant context for labs and demonstrating the application of methods to testing authentic hypotheses. Investigative labs also provide an opportunity to familiarize students with a variety of technologies that allow researchers to address similar questions in different ways. In our introductory molecular and cell biology labs we have developed a three week lab unit that engages students in hypothesis testing, protocol optimization, and testing functional consequences of changes in enzyme structure using the model enzymes. We have adapted isozyme staining protocols to modified SDS-PAGE analysis to allow students to visualize differences in quaternary structure of active enzymes in tissue extracts simulating different genotypes for a hypothetical mutation in alkaline phosphatase. This workshop will demonstrate these techniques.

Why Teach Writing When We Are Trying to Teach Science? (Marilee A. Ramesh, Roanoke College, Salem, VA)

The ability to effectively communicate through writing is an essential skill for our profession and a skill that we are challenged to develop in our students. Writing is not only about communication, but serves as a process to develop and clarify our ideas. Science writing poses its own unique set of hurdles. Writing is expected to be clear and concise, while following a particular format unfamiliar to most undergraduates. While most writing pedagogy has strong foundations in the humanities, some strategies can be adapted for writing assignments in the sciences. Students, using data collected in a laboratory course, are routinely expected to analyze and present their findings in the form of laboratory reports. Such writing assignments can be constructed to incorporate pedagogical elements such as informal writing, drafting, peer review, conferencing and reflection. Whenever possible, links can be made between pedagogical approaches and real work tasks a professional scientist is expected to perform. Such assignments provide students with the opportunities to improve in their work and thus, enable them to gain confidence in their writing skills.

An Organismic Scavenger Hunt: when preserved specimens just don’t cut it (Tim Suhr, Beth Whitaker, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE)

“Study Nature not Books” L. Agassiz. This may be a bit simplistic. Books, lab rooms, and preserved specimens obviously have their place, but they need supplementing with the ‘real thing.’ There are topics that just don’t come across as well when looking at that 20 year old frog in formalin, such as behavior, locomotion, ecology, food webs. For many of these topics biology students are much more engaged when the learning comes first hand, in the field, with living organisms. This mini activity is flexible and can be completed by any size class, ranging from introductory to upper level. We utilize data collection devices with GPS (Vernier’s LabQuest), and an optional array of sensors and probeware. This allows us to send students into the field untethered to locate and study organisms in their ‘natural’ habitat, as an alternative to dead on a lab bench. Using GPS we link the locations of all organisms found by our students, and class data are overlaid on a view from Google Earth. This is the first part of our activity and what the mini workshop will constitute. Going further we ask the question, ”WHY?”, specifically why were the types of organisms found where they were. Students consider natural selection, evolutionary adaptation, and ecological principles as they postulate their findings. If offered, a second outing allows students the chance to evaluate hypotheses using any of a variety of sensors (ex. soil moisture, light intensity, temperature, etc.). This part of the activity lends itself well to the study of, scientific method, experimental design, and scientific writing, via reporting of results.

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11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m., Mini-workshop Concurrent Sessions II

TA-training Thread 
How to Make Your TA an Effective Partner in Your Classroom (Lakshmi Chilukuri, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA)

A perfect TA is one who is independent, dependable, disciplined, creative, intelligent, personable, systematic, and having strong laboratory skills. A good TA is made, not found, and it takes a systematic approach to achieve this. TA training for my lab consists of four components: Intensive introductory training to cover logistics, safety and administrative issues, and TA responsibilities; Formal training over a period of several weeks to provide complete coverage of the subject material, to establish TA collaboration, and to teach and reinforce successful pedagogical tools; Individual training based on classroom observation and focused on specific needs; and Student progress evaluation as a way to promote new approaches and provide feedback to TAs. Our strategies have worked well with both domestic and international students and with TAs having a wide spectrum of prior experience. These approaches help both instructor and TA organize, communicate, and collaborate effectively. With consistent application, they allow the instructor to mentor effectively, and the TAs to practice newly acquired skills and to develop their individual classroom personality. It also increases the rate at which TAs develop confidence in their communication and classroom management skills. We have had consistent success at training effective TAs, as judged by student and instructor feedback, observations of TA progress, their continued enthusiasm for teaching, and the frequency with which they recommend this course to prospective TAs. In this workshop, I hope to outline and practice our main approaches and to provide a forum for discussion on additional best practices.

Plant mineral nutrient deficiency; a hydroponic alternative utilizing nutrient flow techniques (Kevin Johnson, Clemson University, Clemson, SC)

The purpose of this lab experiment is to show the nutrient deficiencies in 8 week old tomato or lettuce plants. Results of the experiment include design methodologies, plant mineral deficiency results, possible errors in NFT performance, and costs involved.
Controlling the growth factors of plants is difficult in a lab setting with students. The variability in the growing medium is limited based on the size of the lab, available equipment, number of students, and budget availability. Using soil to show macronutrient deficiency is almost impossible so the use of hydroponic systems is the most suitable alternative. The nutrient flow technique (NFT) yields the appropriate nutrient deficiency results in a short turnaround period. With particular design implications, an appropriate hydroponic NFT system can be used to display the teaching prospective of plant mineral deficiency. NFT uses a solubilized nutrient solution which is pumped into a gradient flow reservoir containing exposed roots. The solution is recycled back into the storage container creating a closed loop cycle. The particular macronutrients important to plant growth that are tested include nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The hydroponic systems used in this experiment were specifically designed and built for this laboratory experiment. The systems were built with student interest in mind. The designs are not only useful in display of mineral deficiency but also present an attractive visual appeal.

Corralling Wiggling Worms—Collecting Data for a Multi-Week Laboratory on the Effect of Various Treatments on the Pulsation Rate of the Dorsal Vessel of California Blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus)(Michael D. Killian, Dianne M. Baker, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA)

The California blackworm, Lumbriculus variegatus, is a common model organism for instructional laboratory experiments examining the effect of environmental conditions and chemical treatments on cardiovascular function. Our introductory biology students at the University of Mary Washington test the effects of temperature, common drugs, and neurotransmitters on the pulsation rate of the dorsal blood vessel of blackworms in a multi-week guided inquiry-based laboratory which culminates in a formal presentation. Various techniques have been suggested for restraining these active worms so that pulsation rates can be determined. The technique that we have found to work best is to place the worm in a micropipet to reduce its movement. Though the general response to certain chemical treatments is well known, we needed to determine how worms respond to these various treatments using the micropipet system. In this context, we will demonstrate the micropipet technique, report some representative pulsation data (including both chemical treatments and effect of temperature) generated by course instructors and undergraduates, and provide data analysis forms and templates used by our students. Though the micropipet still allows for considerable movement of the worm, our conclusion is that, with patience, students are able to gather and analyze statistically significant data, all within the time constraints of a typical laboratory period. Additionally, the treatment levels we propose do not cause serious harm to the worms, and consequently produce results that reflect the general effects of the various treatments on pulsation rate.

Stimulating with the Socratic Method with Lab Notebooks (Todd C. Nickle, David Bird, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, CA)

Students often take laboratory courses but Good Laboratory Practices are not always stressed. In our second-year genetics course, the instructors have designed a very intentional experience which they use to help students understand how to properly document and articulate their scientific progress in a formal laboratory notebook. The iterative process of recording observations, planning experiments, predicting results, and making observations are emphasized in this method. Students are assigned to groups using customized software in which they report their out-of-class availability, then work together to analyze a genetics system. In the process of analyzing their data, students are encouraged to consult with the instructors to ensure they’re proceeding properly. Students will do this because they are given data but no step-by-step instructions for how to analyze it. They are forced to engage with uncertainty. When engaging in a dialogue with the students, the instructors take pains to ensure students ask questions using appropriate discipline terminology (e.g. they are not given information if they confuse the terms “allele” and “gene,” but are instead guided towards asking their question properly). When possible, an answer is not “given” to the students, and instead they are challenged to consider their system, what they know, and what more they need to know to get the answer they’re looking for. Lab notebooks are marked three times and proper notebook recording skills are stressed.

Landmark-Based Geometric Morphometrics: What Fish Shapes Can Tell a Us About Fish Evolution (Peter Park, Nyack College, Nyack, NY)

Geometric morphometrics, or shape analysis, allows investigators to go beyond linear and area measurements to describe shapes. Shape analysis is currently employed in a variety of scientific applications such as comparisons of animal morphologies, plant morphologies, and even human facial features. Using published methods (Park and Bell, 2010; Park, Chase, and Bell, 2012), participants will learn how to apply landmark-based geometric morphmetic techniques on actual specimens of the threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Cook Inlet, Alaska. The threespine stickleback is an excellent model for teaching evolutionary concepts such as natural selection, adaptation, and speciation. It is ancestrally a marine or sea-run fish, and innumerable freshwater populations have been founded by sea-run forms. Freshwater habitats range from shallow, structurally complex lakes with benthic-foraging stickleback (benthics, Fig. 1), to deeper, structurally simple lakes in which stickleback forage on plankton in the open water (planktivores). Just like major bottom-dwelling fish species (e.g., wrasses, clownfish, grouper), benthic stickleback tend to have stouter bodies which make them highly maneuverable within structures. In contrast, planktivores tend to be long and slender, making them better equipped for cruising rather than maneuverability, an adaptation characteristic of major open-water fish predator species (e.g., swordfish, barracuda,wahoo). Body shapes of benthic and limnetic stickleback will be analyzed using free professional software. Basic theory of shape analysis, data acquisition methods, landmark digitization methods, and shape visualization techniques will be emphasized. Following the main activity, implementation of morphometrics in the classroom for other types of projects will be discussed.

Using the thermophile Meiothermus ruber as a model system for authentic undergraduate and faculty research in genome analysis (Lori Scott, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL)

The Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project is a network of 4 two-year and four-year undergraduate institutions, with the goal of offering authentic research experiences in microbial genome analysis for faculty and students. The thermophilic bacterium M. ruberwas “adopted” from the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute’s (DOE JGI) Interpret-a-Genome Education Program. The DOE JGI offers microbial genome sequence data to colleges and universities for use in authentic research in genome annotation. The microbes in the Interpret-a-Genome program are unusual and from sparsely investigated parts of the tree of life, so the likelihood of exciting discoveries and variations on the classical pathways is high. This research model has been described as a “research career in a box” because of the many faculty resources offered through the DOE JGI, American Society of Microbiology Faculty Programs, Genomics Education National Initiative, and the Microbial Genome Annotation Network. Currently, over 250 students and 8 faculty have contributed in varied ways to the M. ruber Project since its inception in 2009. Student and faculty investigators have annotated individual genes and whole biochemical pathways, cloned and subsequently complemented genes for functional studies, investigated the phenomena of lateral gene transfer and thermostability, and more. In this mini-workshop, participants will: 1) explore some of the resources available for those who might want to start a genome analysis program; and 2) discuss how this model generates authentic research experiences.

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1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m., Mini-workshop Concurrent Sessions III

TA-training Thread 
TA training: How much is too much? (Sylvie Bardin, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, CA and Christopher Garside, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CA)

As laboratory coordinators, we hire, train and supervise teaching assistants for a variety of biology laboratories. With the increase in our TA population over the years, we have developed both departmental and course specific training sessions for our biology TAs. At the beginning of each semester, we provide our TAs with a handbook of ‘Guidelines for Biology TAs.’ This handbook includes tips geared specifically towards effective teaching in laboratories, the logistics of laboratory marks administration, and a selection of case studies to help our TAs leverage challenging laboratory situations. At our departmental TA training session, we present and discuss essential sections of our handbook and encourage our experienced TAs to participate in the discussion and provide anecdotes from their own experiences. Course specific training focuses on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the specific laboratory experiments. At these course specific training sessions we also review and provide our TAs with a detailed marking scheme and correction sheets, and either guidelines and background information to assist in the preparation of the pre-lab presentation or the pre-lab presentation itself. With this wealth of information available to them, we ask the question: are our teaching assistants better prepared? In terms of presentations and marking schemes: should we be focusing more on consistency by providing our TAs with complete presentations and detailed correction sheets or should we allow our TAs more flexibility and individuality in their preparation? In this mini-workshop we intend to stimulate broad discussion about TA training practices and explicitly how much information should we provide to our TAs?

Authentic Practice and Discourse of Science: From the Classroom to the Research Lab (Miriam Ferzli, Elizabeth Overman, Mary Beth Hawkins; North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC)

Undergraduate life science majors often have little opportunity to develop an appreciation for the authentic practice and discourse of science. In addition, research opportunities for undergraduate students may be limited, and students going into independent research laboratories are often unprepared. Based on these problems, which seem to be inherent to traditional undergraduate research experiences, we designed an alternative model, the “Research PackTrack (RP) Program,” that provides research training experiences for freshmen and sophomore students. Our rationale includes the need to get students actively involved in research gradually and early on so they can engage in authentic scientific practice, overcome their apprehension about scientific research, and build a solid foundation for becoming researchers. It calls for retaining women and other minorities, who learn best in collaborative settings with problem-based approaches. Our program is anchored in a two-semester experience, starting with second semester freshmen, that scaffolds students’ understanding in evaluation of primary literature; organization, representation and interpretation of data; experimental design; database searches; scientific writing and oral presentations; peer review; and ethical issues. The second course, taught in a fully operational research lab, allows first semester sophomores the opportunity to work cooperatively, manage lab experiments, and produce meaningful data that they can present at research symposia or publish. Unlike “cook-book” laboratory experiments, students learn how a research lab operates as they move from guided to independent research studies. Students can then continue on with their research during subsequent semesters and mentor incoming students or they can progress to an independent research laboratory.

EVO-DEVO: Does seed protein biochemistry reflect the plant phylogeny? (Carl S. Hoegler, Charlene F. Blando-Hoegler, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY)

Does the biochemistry of plant seeds provide insights into plant evolution? This hypothesis provides the basis for a workshop in which participants will use PAGE vertical electrophoresis to run and analyze preselected seed extracts for proteins of different molecular weights. PowerPoint presentation will outline the technique, including seed extract preparation. This is followed by a question and answer period about gel analysis. In addition, an exhibit of other materials needed to perform the exercise will be set up on the lab bench. This workshop will provide a useful primer about how to set-up this lab for an undergraduate class. After completion of electrophoresis, participants will be encouraged to view their gel scans and bring home photos. Emphasis will be placed on determining whether seed protein analysis does or does not provide corroboration about the relatedness of members in any traditional plant family.

TA-training Thread 
TA Training Methods: Training through Assessment (Dawn M. MacRitchie, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CA)

This mini-workshop is part of a series on teaching assistant (TA) training. The session will outline the TA training methods employed by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. Our department employs 135-140 graduate student teaching assistants each semester, with the majority of TAs being assigned to first and second year lab courses. All new TAs are required to attend ten hours of teaching workshops. In addition, they are assessed three separate times in their first semester of teaching. The first assessment takes place within the first three weeks of their teaching assignment. It involves having 15-30 minutes of their teaching session videotaped. Following the video-session, the TA is given the opportunity to watch and evaluate his/her own performance and receives feedback from his/her teaching mentor. The second assessment comes in the form of an online mid-semester evaluation in which the TA’s students provide anonymous feedback on their TA’s teaching style. The final assessment is an end of term evaluation that includes the results of formal instructor surveys, as well as a critique of their performance by their teaching mentor (or course supervisor). This workshop will explore the merits and challenges of training through assessment.

A Holistic Approach to Horseshoe Crab Biology by Studying Easily-reared Larvae (Kathleen Nolan, Mamuna Faizi, Alina Zhyvotovska, Lauren Clark, James Foo, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY; Mark Botton, Fordham College, New York, NY; Neeti Bathala, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA)

During this workshop, participants will explore recording the body contractions of horseshoe crab larvae that have been placed in five salinities ranging from 0-50 ppt. This will be conducted in petri dishes under a dissection scope. This experiment will set the tone for studying horseshoe crab biology. Background information will be provided on the horseshoe crab, including medicinal uses and their decline due to overfishing. Sources of juvenile horseshoe crabs will be provided. This workshop is part of a holistic approach to learning about an ancient species in decline. We suggest to the students that the results are important in lieu of increased harvesting pressure and possible ecological changes in salinity due to climate change. For example there may be a decrease in salinity over time due to increased rains that could result from climate change. We also discuss selective pressure and evolution with them. We invite them to explore additional experiments that could be conducted to further fine-tune our knowledge of the horseshoe crab and its biology.

ABLE Resources to Enhance your Lab, Career, and Life (Mark Walvoord, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK)

The Association for Biology Laboratory Education has resources to assist Biology laboratory instructors in curriculum enhancement, job relocation, development as educators, and networking with other professionals. Many of these resources can be accessed and utilized through the organization’s website at https://www.ableweb.org. However, many biology-philes may not be aware of, or know how to use, this magical internet portal. Come to this session to take a tour of the ABLE website and learn about how ABLE can help you grow and succeed as a Biology laboratory connoisseur.

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3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m., Mini-workshop Concurrent Sessions IV

TA-training Thread 
Help me! I Don’t Know How to Be a TA! (Sharon Bullock, Michelle Pass, Judy Moore, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, Charlotte, NC)

Graduate teaching assistants come to us with varying levels of knowledge, experience, and confidence. At UNC-Charlotte we address these issues by offering TAs an annual training orientation, a comprehensive TA manual, and ongoing support. This workshop will present a variety of proven methods for transforming some of the most apprehensive beginning TAs into skillful and professional educators. Content will include components of our training orientation: general information all TAs at UNCC need to know, duties and responsibilities of teaching assistants, instructional and organizational best practices in the teaching lab, policies, and strategies for dealing with complex issues such as FERPA, students with disabilities, safety considerations, behavioral problems and harassment. We will present excerpts from the UNCC TA manual. Additionally we will share logistics for routine support and activity-specific guidance of TAs via weekly planning meetings. Thorny problems such as dealing with individual TA issues will be addressed as well. The mini-workshop will include discussion, group activities, and role-playing.

EVO-DEVO: Does seed protein biochemistry reflect the plant phylogeny? (Carl S. Hoegler, Charlene F. Blando-Hoegler, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY)

Does the biochemistry of plant seeds provide insights into plant evolution? This hypothesis provides the basis for a workshop in which participants will use PAGE vertical electrophoresis to run and analyze preselected seed extracts for proteins of different molecular weights. PowerPoint presentation will outline the technique, including seed extract preparation. This is followed by a question and answer period about gel analysis. In addition, an exhibit of other materials needed to perform the exercise will be set up on the lab bench. This workshop will provide a useful primer about how to set-up this lab for an undergraduate class. After completion of electrophoresis, participants will be encouraged to view their gel scans and bring home photos. Emphasis will be placed on determining whether seed protein analysis does or does not provide corroboration about the relatedness of members in any traditional plant family.

Ecosystem exercises for summer school and distance students (Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver, Betty L. Black, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC)

An ecosystem exercise was developed for the summer school audience that can yield quantitative data about species relationships and trophic levels. The exercise uses non-destructive sampling to examine simulated “ponds” that can be maintained easily for a week on desktops. Students are exposed to a variety of algae and invertebrate species, and observe locomotion and feeding in many different species. In sections of the same Introductory Biology course taught by distance education, the ecology laboratory utilizes a virtual field trip to a temperate forest. Students open an interactive panorama from the Internet and locate habitats within the forest as indicated by hot spots. As they turn 360° within the panorama, more hot spots are found which contain video clips of organisms living there. Students list the plants and animals that they find, place them in a table that indicates the forest strata or microhabitat in which each was found, and construct a productivity pyramid that places each organism at the appropriate trophic level. This exercise can also be used as homework in the campus-based course to illustrate ecological concepts in a terrestrial environment.

TA-training Thread
Train Your Lab Instructors for Basic Microscope Troubleshooting and Preparation! (Lori Ann Rose, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX)

How well do your lab instructors handle basic microscope troubleshooting during a lab exercise? Have your lab instructors ever sworn, “the bulb must be burned out” when the illuminator is simply turned down all the way? Are you ever called to repair a microscope that doesn’t need to be repaired? We often assume that graduate student lab instructors already know how to deal with the simple and common stumbling blocks encountered during a lab exercise involving the microscope. However, this can be a daunting task when there are 30 students vying for the instructor’s attention and class time is running out. Participants will complete a quick, interactive and simple problem based exercise that helps lab instructors learn how to troubleshoot the most basic problems encountered by freshman biology lab students when using the microscope. As an added bonus, this exercise leaves your microscopes cleaned and ready for the first day of labs each semester! Since “lab life” is always better when lab instructors are well prepared to calmly/coolly handle mishaps, we will also share our “Best Training Practices” (BTPs) for common misadventures in the lab room. Please come prepared to share your BTP!

TA-training Thread 
A Bridge to Knowledge: A TA Training Course (Nathan Rycroft, Angela Seliga, Boston University, Boston, MA)

A Bridge to Knowledge is a multidisciplinary for-credit course that emphasizes the role of knowledge dissemination and acquisition in the academic and professional teaching career of a future faculty member. The 9 weekly sessions of the course train first time Teaching Assistants to become effective teachers in three functional sections: 
I) The course begins with a quick guide and practical introduction for teaching the first few classes. This includes an introduction to teaching undergraduates, tips on effective speaking and teaching, the mechanics of running a class, and activities that help to recognize and develop good teaching habits. 
II) Elaborates on examples and exercises that students can incorporate into their curriculum. This includes sections on microteaching, active learning through case studies, an introduction to classroom assessment, fair, effective, and efficient grading, and the diversity of learners. 
III) Focuses on the PhD student as a research graduate student and a new teacher, developing techniques for stress minimization, professional documentation, and assessment of the future faculty members’ (and others) teaching progress. This workshop will focus on two of the interactive components from sections II and III: case studies of common problems and time management as stress minimization.

Osmosis, Lab Math & Microscopes (oh my!): An inquiry based approach for reviewing basic lab skills and concepts while investigating plasmolysis in Elodea cells (Joanna R. Vondrasek, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA)

This exercise takes a simple, ubiquitous introductory cookbook lab and turns it into an inquiry-based lab. Students are asked to design an experiment to determine the concentration of either NaCl or KCl that will cause plasmolysis in Elodea leaf cells. Through their independently designed experiments, students become comfortable with making solutions, diluting stock solutions, using light microscopes and other basic lab equipment. After completing their experiments, lab groups compare the concentrations of the two salts that caused plasmolysis and also compare protocols with other lab groups. This activity works well as the first lab in a sophomore level cell biology course, since it requires that students practice essential lab skills and review basic concepts like osmotic balance. It also gets students to engage in experimental design early in the course using simple techniques already familiar to them from introductory courses. If the required lab skills had previously been introduced, the lab activity could also be adapted to an introductory level biology course.